The proposed project, located in shasta county, CA, will address wet meadow, seasonal wetlands, vernal pools, sage steppe, and OAK woodland habitats across 4500 acres the fall river resource…

The Fall River Resource Conservation District will receive $100,000 through a Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8. The funding supports projects under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program to address habitat restoration needs across 4,500 acres in Shasta County, California. Key work will include installing grade control structures to address head cuts and gullies causing water loss across 300 acres of wet meadows on the Lake property. Juniper encroachment reducing resilience in a pine stand and oak woodland will be managed, and 150 acres of historic sage steppe habitat will be replanted with native species. One acre of vernal pool wetlands will also be protected by adjusting fence gates. On the McArthur Swamp property, priority will be given to restoring over 150 acres of drained vernal pool habitat by modifying drainage ditches. Outcomes will benefit wet meadow, seasonal wetland, vernal pool, sage steppe and oak woodland habitats in the region.

The proposed project, located in shasta county, CA, will address wet meadow, seasonal wetlands, vernal pools, sage steppe, and OAK woodland habitats across 4500 acres the fall river resource conservation district acquired the lake and macarthur swamp properties from pacific gas and electric company and placed a permanent conservation easement on each acquisition of these properties did not include the water rights therefore, managing water from wells and overland flow from tailwater, rain, and snow melt are vital for habitat sustainability the fall river RCD proposes to address with this project the top priority management needs of each site for each, that is hydrology, encroaching juniper, and revegetation on the lake property, the primary water loss is through head cuts and gullies, which will be addressed with grade control structures juniper is encroaching on meadow habitat, a pine stand, and within an OAK woodland, reducing stand resilience and acorn production and raising fuel loads the third area to address is the northeast corner of the lake property past ranching activities have removed the sage steppe vegetation and resulted in annual grasses dominated by cheatgrass this area will be planted with native sage steppe brush species on mcarthur swamp, the most extensive management need to address at this time is the network of drainage ditches that cross all fields priority is given to those areas with the most significant hydraulic benefit top priority will be given to the vernal pools drained by these ditches the vernal pools will further be protected by adjusting existing fence gates to minimize and discourage vehicle usage in the pools the total project will address 300 acres of wet meadows, 150 acres of sage steppe, and 1 acre of vernal pool wetland habitat